The present invention relates to an item of internal equipment for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle.
However, although more specifically designed for such applications, it can also be used in any other type of vehicle, such as watercraft, aircraft and/or land vehicles.
In order to improve the safety of the driver and/or the passengers of a vehicle, it is known to use expandable devices such as, in particular, inflatable bag or cushion type retaining devices. These are disposed under the dashboards, which are then equipped with a flap, or trap, capable of moving aside when the retaining device is triggered to allow it to be deployed in the passenger compartment through the orifice created by the opening of the trap.
Such traps generally have an open U-shaped or H-shaped contour, which enables them to pivot about a hinge defined by, or in the area of, the panel constituting the dashboard.
However, according to this form of embodiment, the trap is not completely separated from the panel when the retaining device is triggered, and thus limits its deployment.
In order to overcome this drawback, there are also known inflatable bag or cushion type retaining devices that are covered by traps having a closed contour, in particular an O-shaped one. Such traps can thus be completely ejected and facilitate the deployment of the retaining device.
However, in order to prevent the traps from being transformed into projectiles liable to injure an occupant of the vehicle, they have to be retained with a connecting strap. The problem then posed is that of the strap failing when the retaining device is triggered.
Furthermore, in order to cut down the production costs of dashboards, there is a wish to be able to use panels formed by a single layer of material, preferably at the lower end of the price range. As to the location of an inflatable bag or cushion type retaining device under such a panel, there is then a danger of the trap allowing the retaining device to be deployed and breaking up upon opening.
Another problem to be pointed out in the case of single-layer dashboards is that of making traps that are not visible to the occupants of the vehicle. This enhances the external appearance of the dashboards.
The object of the invention is to provide an interior equipment element for a vehicle, in particular for a motor vehicle, comprised of a panel with a trap for an expandable device, which overcomes the aforementioned drawbacks and enables the deployment of the device through the trap to be facilitated.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an interior equipment element for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprised of a panel with a trap for an expandable device that makes it possible to retain the trap when the device is triggered.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an interior equipment element for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprised of a panel with a trap for an expandable device that makes it possible to prevent the trap from breaking up when the device is triggered.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an interior equipment element for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, comprised of a panel with a trap for an expandable device in which the trap is not visible on the surface of the panel to the occupants of the vehicle.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an item of internal equipment for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, constituted by a panel comprising a trap for an expandable device the production cost of which remains low. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will emerge in the course of the following description, which is given solely by way of illustration and is not intended to limit same.
The present invention relates to an item of internal equipment for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, constituted by a panel comprising a trap for an expandable device, in particular an inflatable bag or cushion type retaining device, having a given direction of expansion.
The trap is define by a closed contour, capable of allowing the trap to open completely when the expandable device is triggered.
The interior equipment element is also comprised of at least a support rib, secured at a fixed point on the vehicle, orientated substantially in the direction of expansion, and one of the sides of which is provided in the area of a so-called upper edge of the trap, and a connecting member, secured, on one hand, to the trap and, on the other hand, to the rib so as to retain the trap when it opens.